Groups rally at State Capitol against bill making illegal immigration trespassing

Dozens of people rallying Wednesday at the State Capitol urged Gov. Jan Brewer to veto a bill that would require local law enforcement to assist in enforcing federal immigration law.

The demonstration followed Tuesday’s House passage of SB 1070, sponsored by Sen. Russell Pearce, a Republican from Mesa, sending the bill back to the Senate to resolve differences between the chambers’ versions. The next stop after that, should the Senate agree with the House changes, would be Brewer’s desk.

Among other things, the bill would make it a trespassing offense for someone suspected of being in the U.S. illegally to fail to produce an “alien registration document” such as a green card or to willfully fail to register for one.

Jaime Farrant, policy director for the Border Action Network, a group supporting immigrants’ rights, said the bill would establish Arizona as the nation’s leader in creating anti-immigration laws and as the leader in anti-Hispanic sentiment.

“In the past three or four years we have seen an increasing attempt at the state Legislature to pass anti-immigrant bills like this one,” Farrant said.

He said his group had organized opponents to send more than 20,000 postcards and 15,000 e-mails to Brewer’s office.

“The governor still has the chance to do what’s right and what we believe voters want,” Farrant said.

The bill also would make it illegal for day laborers to seek work along roads or on sidewalks and make it a crime for drivers to transport someone whom they know to be in the country illegally.

Members of several organizations carried signs and chanted outside the Executive Tower, where Brewer’s office is located.

Antonio D. Bustamante, a member of Los Abogados, a Hispanic legal group in Phoenix, said the bill would violate constitutional rights and create even more problems for the state.

“It’s a complete invasion of the federal government’s province to regulate immigration,” he said, “but even if the courts decide it is not, the courts will never be able to put a halt to the rampant discrimination and racial profiling to which this gives license to.”

Paul Senseman, a spokesman for the governor, said in a phone interview that Brewer hasn’t said whether or not she would sign the bill. However, he said Brewer has a track record of supporting “responsible immigration enforcement measures.”

Mark Spencer, president of the Phoenix Law Enforcement Association, which represents Phoenix police officers, said in a telephone interview that his group supports the bill because it would give local authorities the ability to better enforce the law.

“To hinder or restrict local law enforcement from partnering with their federal counterparts in ICE or Border Patrol increases the risk of danger not only for the community but also for officers,” he said.

What kind of patriotism puts our core values of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness in danger?

This is exactly what SB1070 is doing. It’s creating a police state that’s on a witch hunt for people of colored skin, more specifically brown skin. Let’s hope the governor’s heart is in the right place and she finds the courage to put politics aside for Arizona’s progress.

Marco Robles, are you a legal or illegal person in this country? If the answer is yes, what rights do you have to be here? The government of Mexico deports its illegal immigrants, daily. Why shouldn’t we? We have laws and regardless if a person is a native-born or is illegally in this country, those laws must govern the land. Illegal aliens are taking jobs that belong to Americans. What about us? Do we not have the born-given right to work in our own country? This is something you illegals fail to consider. Yet, y’all want us to have sympathy. Y’all just can’t come here by the thousands and take over!

First, this bill was not designed nor was it intended to target people because of the color of their skin. It is designed to go after illegal immigrants who have enter this country illegally. Every time we attempt to get rid of illegal immigrants people take to the streets in protest. Why is this? They favor rights for illegal immigrants but they do not favor the rights of Americans whose jobs are being taken by these people. We have the right to survive in our country. Yet it is hard for us to do so when foreigners, especially illegal immigrants, are working and Americans are unemployed. I am African-American and I can get a job. Everywhere I go I see Hispanics working. They have excluded blacks and whites from the workforce. They are prejudiced against us. They have taken over construction, janitorial services, the fast food industry, our schools, and if we let them they will take the White House.

American people need to unite and fight for our livelihood and for the future of our children. If we don’t illegal immigrants are going to continue coming here by the thousands and they are going to multiply and and take over our country and makes laws that are favorable for illegal immigrants.

Allie Matias, when you speak of fighting for your rights, what rights are you referring too? If you were born in this country then you have righst protected by the Constitution of the United States. But it are an illegal immigrant, in this country illegally, what rights are you fighting for? To stay here illegally?

Not too long ago it was legal to have segregated schools, restaurants and public transportation. Not too long ago slavery was legal. Sometimes the law is not right. We have a broken immigration system let’s fix it to reduce undocumented immigration. If you are worried about not having a job you should get informed about jobs going oversees and fight big corporations that are outsourcing to China and India.

I’m planning to move my family and extended family into Mexico for my health, and I would like to ask you to assist me.

We’re planning to simply walk across the border from the U.S. into Mexico, and we’ll need your help to make a few arrangements.

We plan to skip all the legal stuff like visas, passports, immigration quotas and laws.

I’m sure they handle those things the same way you do here. So, would you mind telling your buddy, President Calderon, that I’m on my way over?

Please let him know that I will be expecting the following:

1. Free medical care for my entire family.

2. English-speaking government bureaucrats for all services I might need, whether I use them or not.

3. Please print all Mexican government forms in English.

4. I want my grandkids to be taught Spanish by English-speaking (bi-lingual) teachers.

5. Tell their schools they need to include classes on American culture and history.

6. I want my grandkids to see the American flag on one of the flag poles at their school.

7. Please plan to feed my grandkids at school for both breakfast and lunch.

8. I will need a local Mexican driver’s license so I can get easy access to government services.

9. I do plan to get a car and drive in Mexico , but, I don’t plan to purchase car insurance, and I probably won’t make any special effort to learn local traffic laws.

10. In case one of the Mexican police officers does not get the memo from their president to leave me alone, please be sure that every patrol car has at least one English-speaking officer.

11. I plan to fly the U.S. Flag from my house top, put U S. Flag decals on my car, and have a gigantic celebration on July 4th. I do not want any complaints or negative comments from the locals.

12. I would also like to have a nice job without paying any taxes, or have any labor or tax laws enforced on any business I may start.

13. Please have the president tell all the Mexican people to be extremely nice and never say critical things about me or my family, or about the strain we might place on their economy.

14. I want to receive free food stamps.

15. Naturally, I’ll expect free rent subsidies.

16. I’ll need Income tax credits so although I don’t pay Mexican Taxes, I’ll receive money from the government.

17. Please arrange it so that the Mexican Gov’t pays $4,500 to help me buy a new car.

18. Oh yes, I almost forgot, please enroll me (free) into the Mexican Social Security program so that I’ll get a monthly income in retirement.

I know this is an easy request because you already do all these things for all his people who walk over to the U..S. From Mexico . I am sure that President Calderon won’t mind returning the favor if you ask him nicely.

Anybody and everybody, whether citizen or non citizen have Constitutional rights as long as they are in the US. Nowhere in the Constitution does it limit the rights of people based upon their citizenship. Conversely, people in the US are bound by US laws. The US also has a history of having bad laws (prohibition and slavery come to mind) and we have a history of changing bad laws when there are moral and ethical as well as practical issues at stake. Bad immigration laws seem to fall into the later category. A comprehensive and holistic approach seems to be the best approach, but as long as some folks hold onto their uncompromising stance, little will get done. Perhaps it’s time to become part of the solution instead of continuing to be part of the problem.

As for (defend you rights) that is exactly what is going on if you don’t like diversity here in America and different races of people maybe you need to move to a Country that only has one language and one color of skin? that will be across the ocean could be were you ancestors were from? and I am sure you would be welcomed with open arms if you wanted to live in Mexico as for the economy the people you talk about pump so many millions into the economy if you knew how much it would make you head pop off!!

To Michael,nobody is taking your J.O.B that is just your excuse not to have one! you probabley don’t even want to work! and use that issue as your scape goat to be Lazy and get goverment assistance get food stamps and sell them to your friends and family for cash money! and if your African American you have forgotten what it was like for blacks not to long ago!when you were targeted by the goverment and non colored folk’s and don’t think it can’t happen again if caucasian’s start to feel threatened again because your people are starting to get better jobs and positions they may change the LAW to benifit them and make it tough for your Fathers,Mothers brothers.sisters,uncles Aunts sons and Daughters Friends and neighbours!! ya’ll should be against this bill not all black people are black some can be mistaking for light skin mexicans

[First, this bill was not designed nor was it intended to target people because of the color of their skin. ]

That is exactly what this bill is doing. I thank GOD that I don’t live in a state that is run by a selfish and ignorant governor and hope that when she’s up for re-election she gets the boot.

As far as immigrants taking your “construction, fast-food, janitorial jobs” why in the world would you need any of these. It is a BIG shame that you as a White, Male U.S. citizen would be lacking the education that is required to get a job outside of these fields. Why would you or any body else for that matter who was born in the U.S. need to rely on these types of jobs? The majority of those that enter this country through Mexico end up working on the jobs that other folks are too lazy to even think of doing.

I am Hispanic and educated – I don’t feel threatened by those working in fast food joints or in construction – I applaud them for trying to make a decent living.

“White people. This is an Apartheid law. And missing from this discussion is the context of how White people (Europeans) came to this land. Since 1492, European-descent people have arrogantly invaded this continent, committing genocide, rape, slavery, land theft, and resource plundering. All the while, these European pirates/squatters screamed at Native Peoples that we were: 1) Unsaved pagan savages, 2) the wrong race, 3) without rights to our humanity, freedom, and collective land ownership. I have yet to see one bonafide “Pilgrim Passport” from Native Americans. That’s because White people have violated the sovereignty of every single First Nation Government in this Western Hemisphere. European-descent people are The Ultimate Illegal Aliens. They are in no moral position to preach about “assimilation” and “legality” which they themselves have rejected for the last 500 years. Boycott Arizona”.by Migel A

Frankly, you all are missing the real issue. Being a woman of color I have experienced racial injustice and racial discrimination my entire life. Enough to know that racial profiling is NEVER EVER okay! And now they think that they can just slip it into law?!?!? This is not about us supporting immigrants being illegal or supporting illegals crossing the border without the appropriate paperwork. Its about the millions of Mexican Americans who are citizens. Born and raised here just like you, who will now legally be profiled, apprehended, harassed, discriminated against, and automatically assumed to be illegal. That is not right and that is not civil! So thank you Rev. Al Sharpton for inflamming the true issue when so many others are blind, because if this law goes into effect, honestly, WHO IS NEXT?
That’s the problem with white politicians. They think that if a law protect the rights of white Americans than it protects the rights of all Americans and that is not the case! As for President Obama I feel that by him not intervening he is condoning. President Obama we voted for you because you represented CHANGE so please don’t be afraid to do just that!

TO MICHAEL:
Man your a sell out!!! How are you even putting yourself in the same category as the same white people who did the same oppression to you and your ancestors. If anything it is the WHITE people who are not giving you a job. You are in the same boat as the Mexicans are. They want us here just about as much as they want us here and if they are successfully able to ethnically cleanse Noth America of the hispanic race, than who do you think is next?
I am a proud Blaxican (Black and Mexican) woman and what I need is for our men to be the divine soliders that GOD made them. See the common enemy, understand the common struggles that we have had to face, and unite. Take back the country that WE built, developed, nurtured, tended, and maintained with our blood, sweat, and tears. If not for us, then for those who will have to live in this world after us so that the never have to feel what RACISM really is.

Obviously, many of you who are against SB 1070 are basing your opposition on this legislation in the belief that it promotes “racial profiling”. You just haven’t read the bill, plain and simple! There are at least 8 different passages (that I could find) within the body of this bill that SPECIFICALLY prohibits the use of profiling as a justification for arresting anyone. Please, don’t embarrass yourselves or your particular race for that matter, by formulating your opinions prior to thoroughly researching any given subject. You are just helping to support the cause of ignorance and misinformation.